Name: French Strawberry Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted butter (softened); ½ cup granulated sugar (plus two tablespoons); 2 large eggs; 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract; 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free if needed); 1 ½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; ½ cup plain yogurt; 1 lb fresh strawberries (stemmed and sliced (16 ounces))

Why we love this cake

Simple: No fancy decorating required with this cake. Just one bowl, & one layer and no frosting required.

Not too sweet: Most of the sweetness in this cake is from fresh, ripe strawberries.

Strawberries: French strawberry cake is a perfect treat when fresh berries are abundant. (We can't get enough of them during strawberry season and use them in salads, creamy desserts, muffins, popsicles and more).

Texture: The cake is moist and creamy from the strawberries, but has a sweet, crunchy top.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredient quantities and complete instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Butter. Use unsalted butter, if you have it. Otherwise salted butter is fine. Just omit the salt from the recipe.

Sugar. This recipe is made with granulated white sugar. I haven't tested it with any other sugar, but we do want the strawberries to shine and white sugar's sweetness is neutral in flavor.

Eggs.

Vanilla extract. I always use pure vanilla extract for cakes and cookies.

Flour. I am using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. However, I have made this strawberry cake many times, in my before GF days, with regular all-purpose flour and it was always delicious.

Baking powder & salt

Yogurt. I use full-fat plain Greek yogurt. You can use sour cream, or buttermilk instead.

Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are a necessity here. Frozen strawberries will add too much moisture to the cake. Look for fresh, ripe strawberries.

How to make French strawberry cake

In the bowl of a stand mixer, on medium speed, or using a hand mixer in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it's fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed until combined.

Add half of the flour along with the salt and baking soda and beat on low speed until smooth.

Add half of the yogurt and beat, continuing on low speed, until smooth. Repeat steps three and four with the remaining flour and then the remaining yogurt.

Steps one through four of the recipe process.

Pro Tips

Strawberries. After washing the strawberries, dry them as much as possible with paper towels. Slice them at least in half, or if the berries are very large, in quarters.

Butter and eggs. For best results, have the butter and the eggs at room temperature before beginning to make the cake. If you forget to take them out of the fridge, you can soften the butter in 10 second intervals in the microwave, just don't let it melt. For the eggs, just submerge them in warm (not hot) water for five minutes to bring them to room temperature.

Sugar: If you prefer a sweeter cake, you can use up to a cup of sugar.

Baking pan. This French strawberry cake recipe is made in a nine inch springform cake pan. If you use a smaller pan, the cake will be deeper and you may need to increase the baking time. I've made this cake in a pie plate and that works too, as does a cast iron skillet, as long as it's a nine inch pan.

Baking times. The baking time can vary a lot. Keep an eye on the cake during the last 10 minutes. You may need to remove it from the oven sooner or leave it in longer. Use the toothpick method to check for doneness. If it's done, a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

Fruit. This cake recipe works equally well with other berries or any fresh fruit. Try raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or sliced peaches, plums, apples or pears.

Storage. Store the strawberry cake, in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for five days.

Serving Suggestions

French strawberry cake is delicious as is with a cup of tea, coffee, or a glass of wine. It also makes a perfect spring or summer dessert when topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipping cream. We love this especially as the finishing touch for summer dinners like grilled chicken, or summery shrimp salads.

Recipe

Comments

5 from 28 votes